Big, fluffy dumplings in rich chicken bone broth with shredded chicken and vegetables, the kind of pot I want when it is freezing outside. I built the dumplings from almond flour and whey protein so they puff up in the broth instead of dissolving, and a rotisserie chicken shortcut gets the whole thing on the table in about 30 minutes. One reader left the carrots out and found the broth went flat, so keep them in. 7.9g net carbs and 42.7g protein per serving.
When it’s freezing outside and I want real comfort food on keto, this is what I make. Not a quick stir-fry or a throw-together salad. A pot of rich chicken bone broth loaded with vegetables, shredded rotisserie chicken, and big fluffy dumplings made from almond flour.
I’ve been making this recipe since 2019, and the dumplings are the part I’ve tested the most. The combination of almond flour and unflavored whey protein powder is deliberate. I tried swapping in collagen peptides once and the dumplings completely dissolved (readers have reported the same thing). Whey protein is what gives these dumplings their structure and that soft, biscuit-like center.
The base of the soup is simple. Butter, leeks, celery, onion, and carrots get softened in a stockpot, then I add the shredded chicken with bone broth and bring it to a simmer. The whole pot goes from cold ingredients to ready-to-eat in about 30 minutes. I use a store-bought rotisserie chicken because it saves a full hour of cooking and the seasoned skin adds flavor you can’t get from plain poached chicken.
What I love about this recipe is that the dumplings actually hold together. I’ve made chicken and dumplings from other low carb sites where they turned to mush the second they hit the broth. The secret is heat control. Once you drop the dumplings in, you have to keep it at a bare simmer (I go into detail below). On my gas stove, I turn the burner to its lowest setting and they come out perfect every time.
Each serving comes in around 7.9g net carbs, which is low enough to fit most daily macros with room to spare. I make a double batch early in the week and reheat bowls through Thursday. The broth gets more flavorful as it sits in the fridge.
The rotisserie chicken shortcut
I use rotisserie chicken most of the time, but when I’m starting from scratch, I always go with chicken thighs over breasts. Thighs hold their moisture through the simmer because they have more fat in the tissue. Breasts tend to dry out and get stringy, especially in a soup that cooks for 20-30 minutes.
If you’re using raw chicken, cook it in the stockpot first before adding vegetables. I brown the thighs for about 3-4 minutes per side, cook them through to 165 degrees, then shred them right in the pot. It adds another layer of flavor to the broth. You can also use leftover chicken from a chicken pot pie casserole if you have some in the fridge.
On a keto diet, fattier cuts of meat keep you full and satisfied longer, which is why I default to thighs for almost every chicken recipe I make.
Why I use bone broth
I use bone broth instead of regular stock because you can taste the difference. Bone broth simmers for hours, pulling collagen and minerals from the bones. The result is a richer, thicker base that gives this soup its body without needing flour or starch as a thickener.
You’ll find chicken bone broth at most grocery stores now. I keep a few cartons in my pantry at all times. Regular chicken stock works if that’s what you have, but the soup won’t have the same depth. The gelatin in a good bone broth makes the soup almost gel when it cools in the fridge, and when you reheat it, all that body comes right back.
Low carb almond flour dumplings
The dumplings are where I spent the most time testing. The base is almond flour mixed with unflavored whey protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, and onion powder. The whey protein is not optional. I’ve seen readers try collagen peptides and the dumplings fall apart completely. Whey is what gives them structure and that soft, biscuit-like hold.
Once you add the boiling water, the batter puffs up fast. Wet your hands before rolling the dough into balls or it will stick to everything. I get 6-8 dumplings per batch depending on how big I make them. A reader named Phil found that chilling the dough for 10 minutes before rolling helps them hold their shape in the broth. I’ve started doing this when I have the time and it does make a difference.
Here’s the part most people get wrong: your broth cannot be at a rolling boil when you add the dumplings. I’ve tested this dozens of times across gas and electric stoves. If the broth is too hot, they break apart. Turn your burner to the lowest setting (or pull the pot off the heat entirely if you’re on electric). Cover and let them steam for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. They’ll firm up perfectly.
Slow cooker version
I’ve made this in the slow cooker when I want it ready by dinner without watching the stove. Add all your soup ingredients (chicken, vegetables, broth, seasonings) and cook on low for 4-6 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, prepare the dumplings and drop them on top. Cover and let them steam until set.
The slow cooker version is hands-off, which I appreciate on days when I’m busy with other things. The broth concentrates as it cooks and the chicken gets fall-apart tender. If you like this kind of dump-and-go comfort food, my keto chili uses a similar approach.
Instant Pot version
I’ve also made this in the Instant Pot when I’m short on time. Use the saute function to cook the vegetables (except zucchini) until softened. Add chicken, zucchini, and broth, then drop the prepared dumplings on top.
Pressure cook for 10 minutes, then quick release. The dumplings hold up well under pressure, which surprised me the first time I tried it. The texture is slightly denser than stovetop, but they’re still soft and fluffy inside. If you like pressure cooking, my white chicken chili and lasagna soup both work great in the Instant Pot too.
How to store leftovers
Leftover soup stores well in the refrigerator for 3-5 days in a sealed container. I store the dumplings separately from the broth whenever I can because they absorb liquid as they sit. If you keep them together, the dumplings get soft and the broth thins out. Separating them keeps the texture closer to fresh.
For reheating, I warm the broth on the stove and add the dumplings back in for the last 2-3 minutes. The soup honestly tastes better on day two because the flavors have more time to meld together.
You can freeze the broth base (without dumplings) for up to 3 months. I don’t recommend freezing the dumplings since the almond flour texture gets grainy after thawing. My approach is to freeze just the broth with chicken and vegetables, then make a fresh batch of dumplings when I reheat. Takes 5 extra minutes and the result is much better.
How to make keto chicken and dumplings?
This recipe uses two shortcuts I rely on every time. I grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it into bite-sized pieces. The dark meat from a rotisserie bird has tons of flavor, and it cuts out a full hour of cooking time.
For the broth, I use a premade chicken bone broth. It gives you all the richness and collagen of homemade without simmering bones for hours. If you want the broth even thicker, stir in 2-3 tablespoons of cream cheese near the end of cooking. I used to recommend arrowroot powder for thickening, but cream cheese works better. It blends right into the broth and gives it a silky body without changing the flavor.
The whole pot comes together in about 30 minutes, and with around 7.9g net carbs per serving, it fits comfortably into a keto day. If you want to use raw chicken instead of rotisserie, just cook it in the stockpot to 165 degrees as your first step before adding the vegetables.
In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leek, celery, onion and carrots and cook until softened.
2
Add chicken
Add chicken, zucchini, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
3
Begin dumplings
While the chicken soup is cooking, start making the dumplings. In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and onion powder.
4
Add boiling water
Pour in hot boiling water and stir with a spatula until just combined.
5
Roll into balls
To form the biscuits, it’s best to use wet hands to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Grab a chunk of dough and roll into the ball. Repeat until you have 6-8 dough balls.
6
Add the dumplings
Evenly place the dumpling balls on top of the chicken soup. Cover and let simmer on low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1/6 of recipe
Calories
401
Fat
19.8g
Protein
42.7g
Total carbs
12.6g
Net carbs
7.9g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my dumplings dissolve in the broth?
Your broth was too hot when you added them. These dumplings need a bare simmer to set, and electric stoves run hotter than gas because the element heats the entire bottom of the pan, which is why I pull the pot completely off the burner when I'm cooking on electric.
Can I use coconut flour or sunflower seed flour instead of almond flour?
The whey protein is what holds these dumplings together, not the flour, so a swap is workable. A reader named Morgan is testing a 1:1 sunflower seed flour swap for a tree nut allergy and I told her it should work. For coconut flour I haven't done a full side-by-side test yet, but it absorbs far more liquid than almond flour, so I'd start with roughly 1/3 cup and add an extra egg to help with binding. Expect a denser, less biscuit-like texture either way. Keep the broth on the absolute lowest setting when you drop them in, and leave a comment with your results so I can update this answer.
Is this recipe dairy-free?
The only dairy in the base recipe is the butter I use to saute the vegetables. I'd swap it for olive oil or avocado oil if you need dairy-free. The dumplings themselves are already dairy-free. If you're using my cream cheese thickening method, obviously skip that addition and the broth will still taste great on its own.
The almond flour dumplings actually puff up in the broth, which I didn’t expect the first time I made it. That number got me too when I first ran the macros.
Not sure the carrots are really optional. Batch two I left them out and the broth went noticeably flatter. Put them back for batch three and it clicked. The base also needs more salt than the recipe calls for, especially if your rotisserie chicken isn’t heavily seasoned. Dumplings are fine as-is, the soup underneath is where the extra work pays off.
Three batches is the real test. The carrots do something to the broth sweetness that’s hard to replicate (I marked them optional for the carb count), but I use them every time. And the salt thing is real, rotisserie chickens vary a lot depending on the brand.
Fully expected the dumplings to dissolve, that’s usually what happens when I try almond flour in hot liquid. My brother-in-law (he requires bread at every meal, this is not an exaggeration) got very quiet in that particular way he has when he’s actually impressed.
Making this for Sunday dinner and want to do as much ahead as possible. Can I make the dumpling dough Saturday night and just roll them fresh before dropping them in, or does it have to be made right before?
The dough holds overnight in the fridge, no problem. It firms up a bit when cold, so pull it out 10 minutes before rolling Sunday. The broth and chicken can all be done ahead too – just don’t drop the dumplings in until you’re ready to serve.
42 grams of protein per serving was the first surprise, but not the last. Six months into keto and I’d been steering clear of anything called “dumpling,” assuming almond flour would just give me something dense and sad. These didn’t. They puffed up in the broth and held there, soft without falling apart, honestly better than I remember the wheat version being. Follow the rotisserie shortcut exactly as written. The 30-minute claim is real when you’re not starting from raw. Zucchini basically vanishes in there, so I’d go heavier next time, or just swap in something sturdier. Quick question: can you double just the dumpling portion without messing the broth ratio, or does the whole pot need to scale?
You can double just the dumplings. Add an extra cup or two of broth though, they soak up way more liquid than you’d think, so you’ll end up with less soup if you don’t. Veggies are fine as-is.
One thing that tripped me up a few batches in: the water for the dumpling dough has to be at a genuine rolling boil, not just hot from the tap (made that mistake, grainy texture, they started falling apart before they even set up in the broth). Full boil is what gets the almond flour to actually bind.
Took me a few batches to figure that out. Hot tap water doesn’t hydrate almond flour enough to get the dough to hold. Loose and grainy every time until I got the temp right.
Made this in the middle of a heat wave. The craving wouldn’t quit. Dumplings came out way fluffier than I expected, nothing like the dense almond flour lumps I’ve gotten from other keto recipes. Fair warning: stir too aggressively once they’re in the pot and they’ll fall apart. Give them a couple minutes to set first. The rotisserie chicken shortcut is the whole reason this is weeknight-realistic.
The fluffy texture comes from the whey protein, and stirring too early collapses that structure before it can set. Two minutes untouched. Then if you need to move them, just fold gently. I should have flagged that more clearly in the recipe notes. A heat wave soup craving is a very specific kind of determination, and 95 degrees with a bowl of this over AC is not the worst way to spend an evening.
Stirred a heaping tablespoon of fresh thyme directly into the dumpling dough on my second batch. Good call. The dumplings released all that herbiness into the broth while they simmered and the whole pot picked up this depth it didn’t have before. Also pulled in about 1/4 cup of heavy cream right at the end instead of leaving it straight broth (thickened on its own, no xanthan gum needed). The base recipe’s already fast enough for a weeknight with the rotisserie shortcut, but those two tweaks moved it into something I’d make when someone’s coming over. Double-batching this Sunday. Pretty sure the thyme-cream version is the one I’m keeping.
Heavy cream right at the end is smart. I usually reach for cream cheese to thicken but that’s more effort. Thyme in the dough is going in my next batch.
The broth came out really rich, which carried the whole bowl. The dumplings softened up more than I expected after sitting in the soup for a bit, so I’d serve it right away next time. Used leftover rotisserie chicken and had it on the table in under 30 minutes on a Tuesday night.
Figured out if you let the dumpling dough sit for 2-3 minutes before rolling, it firms up just enough that you barely need the wet hands trick. Mine were falling apart the first time and I thought I messed something up, but that little rest fixed it completely. The soup itself tastes like it’s been simmering all afternoon, which is wild given the rotisserie shortcut.
Tried probably four other keto chicken and dumpling recipes before this. The almond flour dumplings actually hold their shape in the broth, not dissolve into mush like all the others.
One change I won’t go back on: cream cheese in the dumpling dough. Just a tablespoon. You notice it right away. The dough is less fussy, and the dumplings hold up in the broth instead of going soft at the edges. That’s why I keep making this. I also keep pre-shredded rotisserie chicken portioned in the freezer for this specifically, which makes 25 minutes actually doable. The bone broth has more depth than I expected from a weeknight recipe. And the dumplings are genuinely filling. First time I made it I thought I’d need a side dish.
Tip for anyone who struggles with sticky dough: I grabbed a small cookie scoop to portion the dumplings instead of rolling them by hand, and it was so much easier. No almond flour stuck to everything, and they dropped into the broth in pretty consistent little rounds. This was my first time making it and I was honestly bracing for the dumpling part to go sideways, but they actually puffed up the way they’re supposed to. The broth with the leek and celery is really good, more depth than I expected from something that came together so fast.
The almond flour dumplings are genuinely impressive (I’ve made enough failed versions to have an opinion on this). My one note: the broth thickens unevenly on reheat if you’re not stirring constantly, so I’ve started pulling the dumplings out before storing them separately. Small fix, not a dealbreaker.
Tried chilling the dumpling dough for 10 minutes before rolling and they held their shape in the broth instead of dissolving like my first batch did. The almond flour mixture just needed that time to firm up. That one fix made this recipe.
My husband is allergic to tree nuts so almond flour is always off the table, and I’ve been wanting a good keto chicken and dumplings all winter. I finally have most of the other ingredients ready and I’m making this Sunday. The part I’m stuck on is the dumplings since the only nut-free keto flour I have on hand is sunflower seed flour. I’ve used it in keto muffins before with okay results, but I honestly don’t know how it behaves when you’re simmering dough in hot broth instead of baking it. Would it hold together or just fall apart into the soup? And would it be a 1:1 swap for the almond flour or does the ratio need to change?
Haven’t tested sunflower seed flour in these, but the whey protein is what keeps the dumplings together, not the flour. 1:1 swap should work. Just keep that broth on the lowest setting when you drop them in.
Annie made this tonight & it was pretty good. What do you think about adding an egg to the dumpling mixture to make it more dense? Almost like a matzoh ball?
Another winner! Excellent recipe. I made a couple of modifications that might answer some of the questions posted.
I used some dried leaf thyme, you could also use fresh and some celery seed (1/2 tsp) along with salt and pepper to flavor the broth more. Added some baby spinach, you could use kale, or rainbow chard too. The latter would add some color to the stew.
I added 1/4 cup of powdered buttermilk to the dumpling mix and adjusted the boiling water to give the right consistency.
I turned the heat down as low as it could go before dropping the dumplings into the stew. I have a very low simmer setting, and this worked perfectly with a cast iron pot to hold the heat. This keeps the stew from going into a rolling or full boil, which agitates the surface and breaks up the dumplings.
Covered the stew w/ the dumplings and let it set for about 20 minutes until the tops were no longer wet dough. There will be some moisture from the steam condensing, but they will be slightly firm to the touch and won’t stick to your finger tip.
If your cook top doesn’t have a true simmer, or if you have an electric or induction type cook top that heats across the entire bottom of the pan, you could probably just turn it off and let it set until they are completely steamed through. This seems to be the trick to prevent the dumplings from dissolving into the the stock.
Powdered buttermilk in the dumplings, haven’t tried that. Does it change the texture? The induction tip is something I’m going to start pointing people to, that question comes up constantly.
Thanks for the recipe. I did not have whey protein and used peptide collagen. The soup was great but the dumplings disintegrated into the soup. Yikes. Lesson learned. Guess those are not interchangeable.
I’ve done many tests on this and the dumplings will disintegrate if your broth is too hot. After you have added your soup ingredients and let it come to a boil, you have to turn it down to low or completely move it from the heat (depending on how hot your burner is gas vs electric).
This recipe uses two shortcuts I rely on every time. I grab a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and shred it into bite-sized pieces. The dark meat from a rotisserie bird has tons of flavor, and it cuts out a full hour of cooking time.
